Smart battery and smart battery systems

Abstract

Smart batteries and smart battery systems are disclosed. A smart battery may include an energy-storage unit providing a cathode tab and an anode tab. The smart battery may also include a circuit integrated with the energy-storage unit. The circuit may be configured to provide electrical connections to the cathode tab and the anode tab of the energy-storage unit to an external device; measure a current, a voltage, a temperature, and/or an internal resistance of the energy-storage unit; control an input/output property of the energy-storage unit; and establish a data connection with the external device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery, comprising:
 an energy-storage unit including a cathode tab and an anode tab; and 
 a circuit integrated with the energy-storage unit, the circuit configured to:
 provide electrical connections to the cathode tab and the anode tab of the energy-storage unit to an external device; 
 measure at least one of: a current, a voltage, a temperature, or an internal resistance of the energy-storage unit; 
 control an input/output property of the energy-storage unit; and 
 establish a data connection with the external device, wherein the circuit integrated with the energy-storage unit includes a two-port network, the two-port network is configured to control the input/output property of the energy-storage unit by connecting the cathode tab and the anode tab of the energy-storage unit with electrode tabs of the battery by connecting with the cathode tab and the anode tab with the electrode tabs of the battery in a first order to release power via the electrode tabs of the battery and connecting with the cathode tab and the anode tab with the electrode tabs of the battery in a second order to receive power via the electrode tabs of the battery. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit of the battery jointly forms an energy network with circuits of other batteries. 
     
     
       3. The battery of  claim 2 , wherein the circuit is configured to facilitate exchange of power and data with the circuits of the other batteries over the energy network. 
     
     
       4. The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the energy-storage unit is a single battery cell. 
     
     
       5. The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the energy-storage unit includes a plurality of battery cells. 
     
     
       6. The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit is further configured to compute a state and operating data of the energy-storage unit. 
     
     
       7. The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit is further configured to store at least one of: the current, the voltage, the temperature, the internal resistance of the energy-storage unit, the state, or the operating data of the energy-storage unit. 
     
     
       8. A system, comprising:
 a network of smart batteries, each smart battery comprising:
 an energy-storage unit providing a cathode tab and an anode tab; and 
 a circuit integrated with the energy-storage unit, the circuit configured to:
 provide electrical connections to the cathode tab and the anode tab of the energy-storage unit to an external device; 
 measure at least one of: a current, a voltage, a temperature, or an internal resistance of the energy-storage unit; 
 control an input/output property of the energy-storage unit; and 
 establish a data connection with the external device, wherein the circuit integrated with the energy-storage unit includes a two-port network, the two-port network is configured to control the input/output property of the energy-storage unit by connecting the cathode tab and the anode tab of the energy-storage unit with electrode tabs of the battery by connecting with the cathode tab and the anode tab with the electrode tabs of the battery in a first order to release power via the electrode tabs of the battery and connecting with the cathode tab and the anode tab with the electrode tabs of the battery in a second order to receive power via the electrode tabs of the battery. 
 
 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the circuit is configured to facilitate exchange of power and data with the circuits of the other smart batteries within the network of smart batteries. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a controller in communication with the network of smart batteries, the controller configured to control power distribution among the various smart batteries within the network of energy-storage units. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the energy-storage unit of each smart battery is a single battery cell. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the energy-storage unit of each smart battery includes a plurality of battery cells. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the circuit is further configured to compute a state and operating data of the energy-storage unit. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the circuit is further configured to store at least one of: the current, the voltage, the temperature, the internal resistance of the energy-storage unit, the state, or the operating data of the energy-storage unit.